After 50 years of gardening first in Calgary, then on the west coast, then in Oakville, then back to the west coast, then to an acreage east of Edmonton, & lastly to the City of Edmonton itself, Myrt & myself are kinda burnt out. The last several years we have been making the transition to containers. It's just too demanding on us to maintain the flower beds that we used to have. Hopefully this new forum category will be popular & we can learn how to get the most out of "pots"

Lee, through the years I have learned you do have to fit the container to the plants. Too small of a container and you will spend too much time watering. The material of the container is important too as some aid the drying process.

I find starting with the proper soil, using plants that fit the size of container, and using slow release fertilizer gives a good result.

Of course, living on the East Coast with cooler temperatures and increased air moisture, I have less drying than other parts of the country.